WASHINGTON (CNS)—The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops is urging priests across the country to preach about "the
terrible toll the current economic turmoil is taking on families and
communities."

WASHINGTON (CNS)—Although the percentage of the U.S. workforce they
represent has shrunk over much of the past half-century and some
Catholic critics contend that their time has come and gone, labor unions
are still viewed as a force for good for their members.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—Acknowledging that Congress and the administration face "difficult challenges" in tackling the country's massive budget deficit, the U.S. bishops reiterated their call that the needs of poor and vulnerable people must be protected in any budget decisions.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—At a time when workers continue to struggle for
decent wages and rights, panelists at a conference marking the 120th
anniversary of the encyclical "Rerum Novarum" made clear that the letter
on labor and the rights of workers holds important contemporary
lessons.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on
Domestic Justice and Human Development gave his support Feb. 24 to views
on the rights of workers caught in the midst of Wisconsin's budget
battle earlier articulated by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki on
behalf of the state's bishops.

MILWAUKEE (CNS)—Quoting Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II,
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki issued a statement Feb. 16 that
came down squarely in favor of workers' rights in the face of efforts by
Wisconsin's new governor to restrict those rights.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—The growing adoption of U.S.-style industrial
farming practices worldwide puts too much stress on the planet and
deceives people into thinking that the world will be able to keep
feeding a growing population, currently 6.8 billion.

IMMOKALEE, Fla. (CNS)—Silvia Perez, who has survived the worst during
her 17 years of working in the tomato fields, said she was overjoyed
with recent landmark events aimed at increasing wages and improving
working conditions.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—Catholic organizations expressed dismay over the
Sept. 16 announcement from the U.S. Census Bureau that the number of
Americans living in poverty in 2009 rose to 43.6 million, or 14.3
percent of the population.